An Accidental Tweet: The Internet’s Version of the Sex Tape

By this point you must have heard a story or two about a brand or personality tweeting something inappropriate – something they would never want their followers to see or read. From Chrysler – to StubHub’s most recent slip-up – it seems like these things are happening more-and-more.

Could it be that Generation Now is constantly online and thus more available to catch these mishaps? Possibly. Could it be that these brands are doing it on purpose? Well, as the old saying goes: “there is no such thing as bad publicity…”

Night-vision cameras are phenomenal, aren’t they? Parris Hilton and Kim Kardashian’s sex tapes were not released by accident; I don’t care what anyone says. Those two publicity-hungry broads knew what they were doing the minute their naked bodies came into focus. Even someone who is half awake would understand the repercussions of these types of publicity … especially after they happen again-and-again-and-again. That is why when I was greeted by Gawker’s article on StubHub’s sweet tweet, I was only left to look at it skeptically.

Look, I have managed communities for years, and I have sent out tweets that were less than perfect, but NEVER would an F-Bomb find it’s way into my messaging. Ever. Someone who tweets for a multi-million dollar company with millions of fans got to that position by being diligent and thorough. The very concept of screwing up to this magnitude is entirely foreign to us, I promise you. That is why I believe mistakes like these are calculated … unless these brands are handing their interns the passwords to Twitter on orientation day.

I know that some of you will think I am crazy for even accusing brands and personalities of such practices. What would they have to gain by sending out a tweet like this? Well, StubHub made it into Gawker (and other online publications), didn’t they?

I am, at the very least, more aware that these tactics could exist, and these thoughts now own just a little bit more of my mindshare. In fact, I am a little more likely to use a brand’s service BECAUSE of a tweet like this. It takes cojones to draw attention to yourself (negative or positive) and these companies have done just that.

Andy focuses on capturing the attention of the communities that he builds for Speak Social. Our campaigns include various moving parts on multiple Social channels. A previous Project Manager for Integrated Technologies Inc., Andy held projects together with years of experience in streamlining process and communicating efficiently. These talents have made him a sought after Community Manager, earning him an invite-only position on the Klout Squad; something only awarded to those who prove their worth in Influencer Marketing. His success has also earned him the distinction of Rising Star in Social Media from Finger Candy Media. His blogs appear on Social Media Today, USAToday.com, FuseTV and DallasMorningNews.com. Most recently, he was written about on Gawker.com for his charitable online work with Team Adalia Rose.
Andy Gonzalez on Google+ @AndyViral